Criminal probe for APNU/AFC’s Winston Jordan’s “nefarious, questionable transactions” – AG

…Jordan denies any wrongdoing; says allegations false, baseless
Winston Jordan, who served as Finance Minister in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Chance (APNU/AFC) Government, alleged engaged in a number of corrupt transactions during his tenure in office and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), very soon, is expected to begin probing these dealings.

This revelation was made by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on Thursday.
While the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was in Opposition, from 2015 to 2020, it had been critical of the operations of the David Granger-led Government and promised to ensure their every move was investigated once the PPP/C took the reins of Government. Nandlall had been quite vocal about those investigations and now that the Party was in power, the Senior Counsel said that it intended to deliver on the promise.
“We promised that once we got into Government, there are a number of transactions that were done under the previous government that will be subjected to investigations and charges may flow if those investigations yield those charges based upon the advice, of course, of the Director of Public Prosecutions. That is an ongoing process.
“But many people believe that we may have not been pursuing it with the desired speed. That is not so. There are so many other things that have happened since that, and have diverted the attention of the Police Force in other directions, but we remain committed. We remain committed to that promise to investigate these transactions,” Nandlall said.
Giving an update on the investigation, Nandlall explained that they had observed a number of seemingly corrupt transactions attributed to Jordan during his time in office and after investigating, they have complied a file to be sent to the Police for the commencement of a criminal probe.

“The former Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordan has been implicated in a number of nefarious and questionable transactions, which we intend to send to the Police Force and to other law enforcement agents for their investigation… Police will begin their investigation, the files have been assembled already and they are on their way to the Police,” he explained.
Pointing to some instances of the alleged dealings, Nandlall said they have found that several vehicles were sold by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), without due process, to persons who are allegedly close to the former Minister. Additionally, he said that the investigation found that a number of State properties, valued millions of US dollars, were sold for prices far below market value and without any public procurement process by Jordan. The AG said that the sale of those properties occurred after the APNU/AFC lost the March 2020 General and Regional Elections – between March 2 and August 2, 2020 – while the results of the elections were being contested.
“Those transactions are clearly, clearly offensive to law, and, therefore, ought to be subject to investigation. Another one that comes to mind, also, is the transaction or the circumstances surrounding the deposit from ExxonMobil. You would recall the Finance Minister at the time completely denying that we ever received that US$18 million bonus (from ExxonMobil) and then we subsequently found that it was deposited in some account at the Central Bank authorised by him (Jordan) in writing and then, of course, he took that money and invested it somewhere in the United States and it is unclear where that money is or whatever is left in that account,” the Attorney General informed.
He added that the matters were steadily engaging the attention of the relevant State agencies and investigative arm of the State, adding that as a Government, it was their duty to ensure those responsible for pillaging the country were held accountable.
“We will continue to persevere in that direction to fulfil that promise that we made, not only in relation to Jordan, but in relation to various other land transactions,” he said.
After taking office in August 2020, the PPP/C Administration unearthed a number of corrupt land transactions and giveaways of prime State lands and has been going after those culpable. Nandlall, on Thursday, said that some of the beneficiaries of those lands have returned the properties to the State or they have arrived at an amicable solution.
However, he was quick to point out that they have not yet begun properly going after those that benefited from below-market-value State lands since that would require a more in-depth investigation.
“There are hundreds of these transactions that where there were giveaways of prime State lands in prime areas, in particular, along the ocean front and on the banks of the various rivers in Guyana. Those lands have peculiar value due to the oil and gas sector; we have not even touched those transactions as yet,” the AG said.
“What we are focused on are simply a few in the vicinity of Ogle, and along the East Bank of Demerara. But a large part of those transactions have not yet been handed over to the investigative arm of the State, and we are going to do that, but as I said, we don’t want it to appear that we are a government that is focused only in this direction. Our priority remains developing the country, addressing the welfare of the people, ensuring that our people continue to live a proper life, and protect them in this global pandemic. But that doesn’t mean that we are not going to pursue the other promises that we have made,” he said.

No wrongdoing
Jordan, in a statement, shortly after the Attorney General’s announcement said that the allegations of possible corrupt actions by him were “false, baseless and repugnant”.
“I say without fear that they are designed to impugn my character, tarnish my image and lower my esteem in the eyes of my family, friends, admirers, well-wishers, and the general public. Moreover, they are intended to intimidate me, in light of my scathing criticism of the Government’s approach to development of my beloved country. I cannot and will not be intimidated,” Jordan said in his statement.
Additionally, he indicated that his Attorneys have already been informed of the latest development.
The former Minister also stated that he performed his duties in compliance with the law while serving as Finance Minister.
In November 2020, Nandlall had indicated that Government would bring charges against Jordan after a number of questionable transactions were approved by him. He had said that the Government sought legal advice and would be initiating legal proceedings against Jordan and former National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Head Colvin Heath-London.
Data released by Nandlall showed that persons, including Jordan and Heath-London, have been transferring land worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to various companies with only a small fraction of payments being received. This was all done after the elections, at a time when the Government should not have been engaged in any such transaction.
Between them, the pair vested almost 100 acres of prime State land in Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), to eight different companies. All told, the total value of the lands is $2.9 billion. But NICIL only received approximately $64 million in payments. (G2)